November - Sidelines

mtsu

11.22.2017 Vol.92 No.3

SIDELINES

The Green Edition

Check out the Bonus

COLORING PAGES

Illustrated by Abigail Potter

The Green Edition 05 06

MTSU home to unique hemp production program, research into medicinal uses of hemp-based products

07

TWRA fails to update endangered species list in over a decade, reflects on state of wildlife preservation in the US

09 12

Students for Environmental Action planting the seeds for a better future

13

Murfreesboro farmers play huge part of Tennessee’s lifeblood

14

Murfreesboro residents, officials continue preservation efforts after city’s purchase of Oaklands wetlands

16

Coloring pages

Quarantine of 59 Tennessee counties causes rise in demand for heat treated firewood

In Murfreesboro, cyclist safety still a concern

A Note from the Editor Regardless of your political, religious or social beliefs or your job, ethnic background or gender, the environment is something that affects all of us.

With increased human presence, the environment suffers, so it’s our respon-

sibility to keep Mother Earth safe. This can be something as simple as walking or biking to campus instead of driving, recycling and cutting out hour-long showers.

In this edition, you’ll discover different facets to environmental issues that are

taking place in Middle Tennessee.

Cyclists cite safety as a concern when biking, following a hit and run that took

place earlier this year in Murfreesboro. Bike lanes are limited in Murfreesboro, and city Councilman Eddie Smotherman is looking to change that.

Students are taking a stand against environmental issues by joining Students

for Environmental Action, a campus group that supports the protection and preservation of the environment.

Oaklands wetlands, a hotly contested area of land in Murfreesboro, has been

the center for debate when a developer announced plans to build on the land.

MTSU professor Justyna Kostkowska took it upon herself to start a petition to

stop the plans. Her petition rallied a multitude of supporters and stopped the

development of the land. News Editor Andrew Wigdor provides an update on the status of the wetlands.

Included in this edition are coloring pages featuring environment-themed

doodles that you can color in the midst of finals stress.

Thanks for reading.

Brinley Hineman

Meet the Crew

Editor-in-Chief Brinley Hineman

Lifestyle Editor Tayhlor Stephenson

Managing Editor Marissa Gaston

News Editor Andrew Wigdor

Sports Editor Rusty Ellis

Design Editor: Abigail Potter

Assistant News Editor Eric Goodwin

Assistant Lifestyle Editor Connor Burnard

Assistant Sports Editor David Chamberlain

Student Adviser Leon Aligood

11.22.17 /04

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MTSU

Home to unique hemp production program, research into medicinal uses of hemp-based products

By Andrew Wigdor / News Editor

M

iddle Tennessee State University students and faculty have been participating in a program that may change the way that Tennessee farmers, lawmakers and residents view hemp and hemp production. For several years, MTSU has been the home of a hemp production program that has allowed for research into the many functions of the versatile product.

The production was started in 2015 by Clint Palmer, an MTSU graduate student.

“I was an environmental engineering student, and I was about a semester away from graduating,” Palmer said. “I knew a lot about hemp before (the program) because my dad had bought hemp-fed cattle. So, since the sixth-grade, I had a pretty good education of what hemp was.

My dad said, ‘This is hemp, not marijuana.’”

The Agricultural Act of 2014, which is also known as the Farm Bill, protects any university or department of agriculture that wishes to pursue hemp research and the marketing of the crop. However, in order to meet the requirements of the bill, all hemp crop within programs, such as the MTSU production, must be contain less than 0.3 percent THC. This means that the hemp grown at MTSU is non-psychoactive or, in other words, students that will be in contact with the crop will not get high. The average marijuana plant that is bought and sold for recreational purposes has a THC level between 5 and 20 percent.

“You would have to smoke a telephone pole of (the MTSU hemp) to get high,” Palmer said.

During his last year in undergraduate school, Palmer received an internship with the Tennessee Industries Association. He said that, about a month later, he was testifying before the House of Representatives and the Tennessee Agriculture and Natural Resource Committee in order to promote industrial hemp bills.

“

”

I was there lobbying and talking about cannabis, with sweat rolling down my back.

- Palmer

“I was there lobbying and talking about cannabis, with sweat rolling down my back,” Palmer said.

After his work with TNHIA, Palmer returned to MTSU and set a meeting with Warren Gill, a professor in the agribusiness and agriscience program.

“I met with him in his office, and he had just finished reading “The History of Kentucky Hemp,” two days before,” Palmer said. “So, the stars kind of lined up.”

Palmers said that he continued to speak to various professors in the program and asked if there was available land that could be used for hemp production.

“They basically told me, ‘We don’t know what the heck you’re talking about. Why don’t you do this research?’” Palmer said.

It was then that Palmer, at age 28, decided to switch his major from enviromental engineering to plant and soil science in order to pursue hemp production at MTSU. In 2015, Palmer conducted the first growth trial for hemp at the university. Palmer grew seven varieties of hemp that summer, with the help of MTSU faculty and students. After the successful trial, Palmer contacted Tennessee Center for Botanical Medicine Research Director Elliot Altman to discuss further research opportunities within the hemp production. “(Altman) got really excited and looked at the opportunities that may be there, and it kind of snowballed from there,” Palmer said.

After Palmer graduated with a degree in plant and soil science, a 2016 bill was passed in the Tennessee General Assembly, which allowed for the processing of industrial hemp and expanded research

mtsusidelines.com

11.22.17

/06

Quarantine of 59 Tennessee counties causes rise in demand for heat treated firewood

BY SABRINA TYSON / Contributing Writer

A

hardwood quarantine in 59 Tennessee counties, roughly half the state, that prevents hardwood products from being brought across county lines is creating a unique problem -- a firewood shortage. With all state parks requiring that people use only firewood that has been heat treated to kill insects in logs, the demand for this product is rising.

“As public agencies continue to protect our forests through these firewood policies, more citizens will need to have sources of safer firewood,” said Trisha Johnson, director of Forest Conservation for the Nature Conservancy in Tennessee.

This quarantine is the result of invasive bugs and diseases that are causing massive destruction to trees, specifically ash trees, prone to attacks from an insect, the emerald ash borer and walnut trees, which can suffer from thousand cankers disease. Both of these can be spread by bringing firewood from an infected area into an area susceptible for infestation. Both emerald ash borer and thousand canker disease can cause an infected tree to die in about three years.

Emerald ash borer, a beetle native to Asia that targets ash trees, bores into the tree, causing extensive damage. With no natural predators, the spread of emerald ash borer is inevitable, so the quarantine of 59 Tennessee counties is an attempt to slow down the spread of these insects to hopefully allow the ash tree some time to recover from the destruction, according to Tim Phelps of the Tennessee Division of Forestry. “(Emerald ash borer) can only fly about half a mile so it does not spread fast on it own. It spreads on articles like firewood, logs, and any ash wood that has bark on it and this is what leads us to the firewood issue,” Phelps said.

..the quarantine of 59 Tennessee counties is an attempt to slow down the spread of these insects...

Thousand cankers disease has currently caused a quarantine in nine East Tennessee counties. Although it’s a disease, thousand cankers is similar to emerald ash borer in that it is related to an insect. In this case, the insect carries a fungus that infects only walnut trees. These insects are very small and difficult to spot, but the spread of this disease is much slower than that of emerald ash borer. While walnut is not typically used for firewood, the quarantine is still affecting the lumber industry, since it does not allow any walnut or ash products to cross the border of quarantined counties without a compliance agreement.

“It’s basically an agreement with our department of agriculture which says we will allow you to move it, but you have to make sure it is done at the right time of year and are sawed into boards at the right

time of year,” Phelps said.

Both emerald ash borer and the insect that carries thousand cankers disease are killed in the process of heat-treating firewood, causing a great demand for this product. Workshops are being held to provide education to residents about how to make heat treated firewood as a business opportunity.

“We are trying to offer opportunities to small or larger businesses to provide this product that campers will be looking for as they go into the campgrounds,” Johnson said.

Heat treated firewood is treated in a kiln and brought to a certain temperature for the amount of time required for certification. This insures that any insects or larvae in the wood is killed and not transported along with the wood.

Emerald ash borer is not only affecting the firewood industry, but it is also creating issues ecologically. The ash tree, a very prominent species of tree in Tennessee, is experiencing a massive decline in numbers due to how fast moving the emerald ash borer is. The decline in these trees can affect things from the birds who feed on the seeds from the ash tree, to landscaping.

The ash tree is a very popular tree in urban landscaping, due to its tolerance for pollution and unique appearance. Emerald ash borer is causing such a high volume of damage, there is the EAB death curve that predicts how long it will be before the county starts seeing the effects after signs of infestation, according to Phelps.

“Once the introduction of (emerald ash borer) to a county has been identified, there is about a six-year window until that county will start to see exponential mortality,” Phelps said. “In the immediate future, we stand to lose a majority of our ash population because of emerald ash borer.”

This sudden mortality rate of local ash trees could potentially throw a wrench in the environmental balance. Many bird species feed on seeds from the ash tree, and while their food source is not exclusive, the lack of ash trees could potentially drive them away, according to Phelps. “(The ash tree’s) ecological function that is provided will be gone, because we will only have seedlings in the woods, we’re not going to have big ones until more research can be done to curve the beetle population,” Phelps said. “It’d be like going to Kroger and they take away your favorite kind of cereal. You’d have to find something different.”

Currently, research is being conducted to find a remedy for Thousand Canker disease, and there is research being conducted to try and find a natural predator for emerald ash borer, but there is no foreseen solution at this time. The main thing people can do is to either buy firewood in the area and not to move any firewood, or buy heat treated firewood to help prevent the spread of these invasive pests, Phelps said.

TWRA fails to update endangered species list in over a decade, reflects on state of wildlife preservation in the US

By Anthony Merriweather / Reporter

T

he state’s endangered species list has not been updated in 16 years, a violation of federal law, according to a September 2017 performance audit released by the Tennessee Comptroller’s office.

Named in the audit were the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission, which is TWRA’s governing body.

Section 70-8-105 of “Tennessee Code Annotated” states that the TFWC is required to review and make appropriate additions and deletions to the state endangered species list every two years from its effective date and every two years thereafter.

According to the audit, TWRA’s chief of biodiversity was not aware of this responsibility until 2013 because of personnel changes and other projects within TWRA, but officials are currently working on solving the issue.

Representatives of the TWRA did not respond to a request for comment.

It is important for the TWRA to regularly update the list in order to prevent the possibility of legal action from wildlife groups whose priority is to protect endangered species. Failure to do so could lead to the loss of habitat upkeep and research projects in Tennessee. John Dunn, Public Information Officer for the Comptroller of the Treasury, explains that there are other consequences and violations associated with the TWRA’s situation. “(Not updating the list) violates an agreement that the TWRA has between itself and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service … If that problem is not fixed, it could result in the U.S. government withholding funding from the state of Tennessee,” Dunn said.

About 2,300 species are currently listed in the U.S. as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The ESA is a law, administered by the USFWS and the Commerce Department’s National Marine Fisheries Service, put in place to protect and recover threatened species and the ecosystems they inhabit by prohibiting the “take” or “harm” and domestic or international trade of listed animals. A species is classified as threatened if there is a likelihood of that species becoming extinct in the near future. When there is a danger of extinction throughout most or all of a species is when it can be considered endangered.

Since the ESA was introduced in 1973, unsatisfied lawmakers have said that the law limits economic development under the pretense of helping the environment and have worked to either modernize the act or dismantle it entirely.

In February 2014, a report was released by the Endangered Species Act Congressional Working Group saying that “after more than 40 years, sensible, targeted reforms would not only improve the eroding credibility of the act, but it would ensure that it is implemented more effectively for listed species and people.”

Since President Donald Trump took office, Republicans have taken control in both Congress and the White House, giving GOP lawmakers an upper hand in ridding of the ESA. Republican Rob Bishop, U.S. Representative for Utah’s 1st congressional district and Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, has been instrumental in the introduction of five bills that could weaken restrictions put in place by the ESA. With these bills now before the House, there is now a greater possibility of federal wildlife officials being required to consider the significant economic impact when listing a particular species rather than what is found scientifically.

TWRA works with several state and federal agencies, special interest groups, organizations and universities, including MTSU, that assist with the development of Tennessee’s State Wildlife Action Plan. These entities are vital in helping TWRA gather information about at-risk species and habitats and provide input towards conservation plans and action.

The MTSU Center for Environmental Education assists TWRA track amphibians within the state through the Tennessee Amphibian Monitoring Program. TAMP works with trained volunteers that are given multiple routes that they follow four times a year at specific times. On these routes, volunteers listen for and record frog and toad calls to gain a broader understanding of what amphibian populations are doing on a statewide basis. TAMP then shares their information with TWRA and the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program.

Cindi Smith-Walters, a biology professor and director of Environmental Education and Studies at MTSU, is involved with TAMP and sees amphibians as a vital component in keeping track of environment quality.

“Amphibians, because of their body coverings and because they are typically born in the water and move onto land as adults, are very good indicators of water and environmental quality,” Smith-Walters said. “If the water quality is poor then those amphibians, there won’t be near as many of them or there might be genetic issues or they may die before they reach reproductive age.”

With lawmakers looking to focus more on the economical impact of protecting threatened species, the environment could wane. Smith-Walters believes that even Middle Tennessee is beginning to experience the negative environmental influence from rapid economical growth.

“We’ve got some problems I think with … a loss of habitat as Rutherford County grows and its urbanization spreads out into the county, I think there is going to be some habitat loss,” Smith-Walters said. “If a place gets built up and there are now shops, lots of pavement or housing development, our loggers are still going to go to that place and still listen for those calls. So we’ll find out how urbanization is affecting the amphibians here in Rutherford County.”

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Students for Environmental Action planting the seeds for a better future

By David Chamberlain / Assistant Sports Editor

T

he protection and preservation of the environment is an important subject of debate in the 21st century. Science and research has shown the rapid pace that the Earth’s climate is changing. Citizens have mobilized and are taking accountability and responsibility to change the course of the planet’s current trajectory.

Citizens and students at Middle Tennessee State University are those who want to create a difference in the community to change our ecosystem for the better.

The MTSU Students for Environmental Action is an organization that strives to protect the environment and educate others to help appreciate it as well. SEA also wants MTSU to become an energy independent campus that will teach students about the repercussions of their actions to the environment.

K

atie Kiely is the Vice President of SEA and joined the organization during her freshman year. Her interest for the environment was sparked in high school and

we’ve been involved in and will be involved in again is invasive species removals.”

There are species of plants that aren’t native to the area and they take over the

she searched for a group during an organizational fair at MTSU that she could join to

ecosystem. The SEA goes in, cuts them and sprays them to prevent the plants from

make a difference. She is now responsible for keeping the organization in motion and

growing again. SEA strives to hold those types of events once a semester.

oversees SEA’s internal functions.

“As an officer, I do a lot behind the scenes,” Kiely said. “Every semester you have to update the club and keep it registered with student works.”

Kiely not only wants the SEA to be responsible for changing the environment for

Despite Earth Week being in the spring, SEA is already preparing to get students involved. They have done many activities on campus to spread awareness in the past, but Kiely says that they want to shake things up this year.

“When we celebrate, we usually have a week of activities, but this spring we want to

the better, but the students at MTSU too. The SEA and MTSU are open to any ideas or

put on a music benefit,” Kiely said. “There’s a lot of moving parts still, but that’s the

changes that the students would like to see implemented to help improve the campus.

plan.”

“Every semester there are proposals that will go to the sustainable campus fund,”

The organization has high expectations going forward and are hopeful to join with other

Kiely said. “Anyone can submit a proposal, it doesn’t just have to be an organization.”

organizations to collaborate and bring about change in the Murfreesboro community.

Kiely and SEA are actively searching for opportunities off campus to make a difference too.

SEA links up with organizations within the community to help aid in the efforts of

“We always try to get involved in volunteer opportunities,” Kiely said. “One thing

protecting and preserving the planet. Not only do they link up with other organizations,

mtsusidelines.com

11.22.17 /10

but those partnerships often lead to internships for those environmental organizations.

At the very least, Kiely and SEA are hoping to bring awareness of environmental issues to the forefront. SEA wants to instill a positive mindset in the youth who are going to shape the environment as the next generation.

Kiely wants to ensure the youth and millennials that it is never too late to make a change and a difference to preserve the planet.

“We only have one earth,” Kiely said. “I think a lot of people think it’s too late and we’re doomed but we really aren’t.”

Kiely has ideas of her own that citizens can begin to do, so that the environment will be renewed and being

While awareness has increased in recent years, there are still those who have doubts or believe that it’s pointless to recycle or being environmental friendly.

However, Kiely says it’s not hard to convince or persuade them to believe otherwise.

“We only have one earth, I think a lot of people think it’s too late and we’re doomed but we really aren’t.”

to flourish. She gave some tips that she thinks would

“Show them the facts and how much energy is actually being saved and who is actually impacted,” Kiely said.

Kiely and SEA strive to have others join their mission of creating a better environment for the planet and to promote sustainable living and lifestyles and policies from the school, all the way down to an individual level. Also, there is no standard or requirement to be a part of SEA. “We’re not just environmental sustainability majors.

There’s recording industry majors, psychology majors, and biology majors that are in attendance,” Kiely said. “Everyone

really help the environment and begin to make a turnaround.

should want to have clean water and clean air. That’s something everyone should

“I’d like to see more awareness of recycling. Some people don’t care to do it or what exactly needs to be recycled,” Kiely said. “Recycling will help a lot or getting

want and be striving for.”

Kiely and SEA have had an excellent semester and they have laid the groundwork

out of your car to get food and not wait in line. Just really easy stuff like that and if

for an even better semester next year. Going forward, SEA will continue to build

everyone does it, it adds up.”

upon their ideas that will guide their vision for the planet and its future.

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In Murfreesboro, cyclist safety still a concern

By Eric Goodwin / Assistant News Editor

I

n 2016, the U.S. Census estimated the population of Murfreesboro to “On a bike, even if you have the right-of-way, you always have to be looking be over 130,000. This figure is in line with a steady trend of population around and usually breaking traffic laws just to avoid getting hit by a car,” Aligrowth in Murfreesboro; in June, the Census labeled the town as the quo said.

10th fastest growing city in the country.

For people who do try to get across town on a bike, they have to plan out One question that remains is whether Murfreesboro’s growing “convoluted” routes, according to Aliquo. infrastructure has accommodated cyclists adequately.

And there do exist in Murfreesboro people who ride their bikes everywhere, Evan Aliquo, 21, works at Murfreesboro Outdoor and Bike on but the planning can get menial.

Memorial Boulevard.

“There is at least one of my coworkers who rides his bike everywhere ...

“I ride my bike to work pretty much every day,” Aliquo said. “It’s not very far What that turns into is him having to plot real convoluted routes,” Aliquo said. away.”

City Councilmember Eddie Smotherman said he is “the first one to step There are no bike lanes on the route Aliquo takes, but he lives near the forward” when it comes to accommodating city projects with pedestrians and Murfreesboro Square where traffic is slower. He said the only reason he can cyclists. bike to work is the convenient location between work and home.

He said that he advocated for the Thompson Lane project to be redeAliquo doesn’t bike to many other places in town. He said the lack of proper signed in order to create a more walkable and bikeable area. The bike lanes infrastructure for cyclists severely limits his ability to replace his car with a bike. on Thompson Lane now connect to the Murfreesboro Greenway.

“If I wanted to go ride to Kroger, or something, on Memorial -- I think “Making our streets more usable and safer for cyclists in our city is simply a they have a bike lane, but it will sometimes just end, and it’s less than three feet good thing,” Smotherman said. “It helps improve the health of our citizens as wide, and there’s a three foot law in Tennessee, so it doesn’t really make sense,” well as the environment in which we live.”

Aliquo said.

Some of the most heavily trafficked streets by cyclists in Murfreesboro, howThe specific law details that “the operator of a motor vehicle ... shall leave ever, still don’t have bike lanes. a safe distance between the motor vehicle and the bicycle of not less than three A global heatmap of cycling activities aggregated by the athletic website Strafeet (3’) and shall maintain the clearance until safely past the overtaken bicycle.” va shows that East Main Street, Bell Street and parts of Greenland Drive, none Technically, a motorist breaking this Tennessee provision has committed of which have bike lanes, all witness higher than average bike traffic. a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to a month in jail, a fine of $50, or Some projects point toward progressive attitudes toward cycling. both.

Smotherman said the Jones Boulevard widening project, which should begin Aliquo said that he would like to see “at least a curb” separating bike lanes spring 2018, is “another good example of trying to make roads safer around our from the road, so that distracted motorists wouldn’t swerve into bike lanes and schools by redesigning the roadways with sidewalks and multi-use paths.” endanger cyclists.

Aliquo said that although he believes Murfreesboro’s accommodations for “If (motorists) hit a curb, they’re probably going to ... pay attention a little cyclists will increase as the city grows, biking the roads in town is still dangerous. more,” he said.

“I’ve definitely had a mirror, probably six inches from my head ... that’s He said the existing bike lanes in Murfreesboro have their own flaws, such pretty close to being dead,” Aliquo said. “Pretty much anyone who rides a bike as some parts where the bike lane merges into a turning lane. If cyclists wish to frequently will tell you the same thing. People pass you too close, or scream at continue straight onto the next road, they have to merge with traffic and cross you to get off the road.” over the turning lane.

Murfreesboro farmers play huge part of Tennessee’s lifeblood Photo by Tayhlor Stephenson / MTSU Sidelines Story by Rusty Ellis / Sports Editor and Anthony Fiorella / Sports Reporter

T

he life of a farmer isn’t a luxurious one, as it often

For Plunkett, it simply comes down to how much people care

involves early mornings, late nights and back-breaking

about their land.

manual labor that would leave many modern Americans

“Honestly, it comes down to how connected people are

ready to quit at the end of their first day. For some

with their land.” Plunkett said. . “Our land dates back to the

however, it’s a life of labor and love.

revolutionary war and it’s been in the (owner’s) family for

Wes Plunkett is one such farmer. Plunkett, 22, works

for Batey Farms in Murfreesboro, and he spends his time farming a myriad of crops at 5331 Baker Road. Operating since 1807,

centuries.“It would be almost like throwing away part of your family to get rid of the farm.”

Even with that, it isn’t an easy job tending to the land. With

Batey Farms has become widely-known around the Middle

rules and regulations changing all the time, some farmers are

Tennessee area for growing a plethora of produce.

having to close their operation because of money.

“We farm a variety (of crops),” Plunkett said. “We farm soybeans

“A farmer that we lease from, he was a dairy farmer until

and corn. Some years, we grow flowers just depending on how

about five years ago when the rules and the regulations changed,”

everything is going. This past year, we did a mixed garden of all

Plunkett said. “It cost too much for him to change his whole process,

vegetables, just all sorts of things. We also do a lot of hay.”

such as tanks and the way he gathered milk. It was going to cost way

According to netstate.com, farmland covers approximately 44 percent of the state of Tennessee. Some of the soybeans that

more to change than it would to shut down.”

As residents of Middle Tennessee, it behooves you in more

Plunkett farms make up the largest crop in the entire state,

ways than you thought possible to take advantage of all that your

accounting for 11 percent of all crops grown. Those beans are also

local farms have to offer.

the largest exported crop out of Tennessee, as most of the ones

“For us, we will have our meat processed straight from the farm

Plunkett make their way to Alabama.

and within two weeks,” Plunkett said. “Our sweet corn can be

“Our beans go to a place in Decatur, Alabama,” Plunkett said.

purchased straight from the plant, there’s no telling how long it’s

“They crush the beans and extract the oil out of it to sell it for feed.”

been off the plant when you buy it at a grocery store.”

Hay is vital in order to provide proper nutrition to the animals

Local honey that can be found at farms can also have a major

that we will most likely consume in the future. The hay grown

impact on those pesky allergies that the average American deals

right here in Murfreesboro at Batey Farms goes out to farms

with every year. Batey Farms sells their honey directly to the public

statewide to feed cattle and other animals, ensuring quality meat

at their store, and it’s effects are what make it a hot commodity.

that goes into your local grocery stores.

“Hay goes around to all different farmers,” Plunkett said.

“Local honey is very good for allergies,” Plunkett said. “If you eat a spoonful every morning, you will see significant changes. All

“We’ve got a bunch of farmers in Lebanon, Tennessee, that get

those allergens that are being put in your body from the honey

hay … People will come from all around Tennessee to get hay,

have all of the pollen that is taken in by the bees, which makes

because they know we have an abundance of it.”

you allergic. It’s just like a flu shot. You take in some of the honey,

Farming that hay is a monotonous process, but with the

and it helps you build the antibodies for it.”

advancements in technology that we have had in the world,

Farming t might not be the most glamorous job in today’s

farmers are able to do their jobs more efficiently and with less

society, but it is one that has contributed to hundreds of years of

problems. Most of the jobs on the farm have been forever changed

success, stability and relationship-building for the industry. For

due to technology making its way into fields all across the country.

Plunkett, the best part of his job is simply the name recognition

“Honestly (the changes have) been good for us because of the scale (our farm) is at,” Plunkett said. “We farm just under 2,900

and relationship within the community that Batey Farms has with the Murfreesboro area.

acres, so we’re a pretty good size farm. That helps us run with less

“We really thrive on being able to grow with the community,

error. We are able to program things into the tractor, for example.

as Murfreesboro is growing and developing great relationships

The tractor will keep up with information for the field it is in. It’ll

through the farm,” Plunkett said. “That is really what drives me

drive straight for miles when you set it. You set a point at one spot

every morning, just to see the smile on everybody’s face. Both of

and one at the end of the field and it’ll go back and forth.”

the owners really love people and I think that is what drives us all

Thanks to the advancements, there is more hope than ever that there might still be farms a decade or so down the road.

to get up in the morning and do it, because it’s not fun all the time.”

Murfreesboro residents, officials continue preservation efforts after city’s purchase of Oaklands wetlands Photo and story by Andrew Wigdor / News Editor

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On Aug. 4, 2017, the Murfreesboro City Council approved the purchase of 11.7 acres of natural wetlands that were, at one point, in danger of being disturbed by 91 town homes that were to be built on the land.

The city’s purchase of the Oaklands Park wetlands, which was finalized in September of 2017, came after Justyna Kostkowska, a Middle Tennessee State University English professor and Murfreesboro resident, created a petition on change.org to save the wetlands from the town home development. The petition eventually closed with over 1,000 signatures, and the town home developer, Brian Burns, withdrew his construction plans due to fears that the development would be too costly. As of now, the city is still in the process of deciding how the wetlands, which sit adjacent to the historic Oaklands Mansion, should be preserved, and the Save Oaklands group is continuing their efforts to keep the area clean.

According to Kostkowska, the group prefers the land to become a nature preserve rather than a public park.

“It’s a very rare situation where this area has not been affected by humans for a long time,” Kostkowska said. “It’s a naturally safe haven for animals and wildlife … You cannot have a safe haven for wildlife and a city park at the same time. If you put a trail through there, the animals will not stay.”

Kostkowska stated that, despite the wetlands being mostly undisturbed by humans, cleanup days are still necessary due to the frequent litter.

“We’ve already done cleanups there and hauled all this trash from there,” Kostkowska said. “Even without being accessible, there is trash there. It is mostly plastic beverage containers that people must be chucking into the water. It’s amazing how people do that now, and if that place is made accessible, I can imagine how that would multiply.”

During the August meeting, in which the purchase was approved, City Manager Rob Lyons stated that the wetlands would be preserved as a “natural area” but also stated that the city would be looking into the placement of pathways throughout the wetlands.

Kostkowska and the Save Oaklands group have been in contact with city officials in the hopes of partnering on conservation efforts and to stay up-to-date on the city’s decision.

“We have talked to Angela Jackson, and she has said there are sev-

eral ideas (about what to do with the land),” Kostkowska said. “But, she is very protective of the area. She recognizes that making it accessible would possibly take away from what it is now.”

Jackson, who was named director of the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department in December of 2016, stated that many city officials are committed to ensuring the safety of the wetlands. “(The) Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department is now managing the site as a part of Oaklands Park, incorporating into the protected natural area of Maney Springs Wetlands,” Jackson said. “Conservation is a key focus and responsibility of Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation.”

Jackson has been working on this initiative alongside Murfreesboro Recreation Superintendent Rachel Singer, who leads the Outdoor Murfreesboro initiative. Singer said that Outdoor Murfreesboro, which provides numerous recreational opportunities for Murfreesboro residents, allows ordinary citizens to get involved and be a part of the cleanup process.

“Most often, people comment on the trash that is found in our wetlands and river around the city,” Singer said. “The biggest education component lies in understanding how watersheds work: They are drainage basins … Unfortunately, a rain event will take other things that can be washed with the water, such as bottles, plastic bags, cigarette butts and other trash items … With this information and when seen first hand, many people are motivated to change their personal practices at homes and businesses.”

Beyond the cleanups that the Save Oaklands group has been a part of, Kostkowska and Danielle Brown, an MTSU biology lecturer, have applied for an MTSU public service grant.

“We were just trying to come to the table with some funds, so that the city feels our support,” Kostkowska said. “We can become stewards of the (wetlands), and it’s not just draining city money. It’s very exciting to think that the people feel that involved.”

Kostkowska advised that citizens who wish to become involved in the preservation efforts should pay attention to the Save Oaklands Park Wetland Facebook page, where volunteer days and cleanups will be announced.

“The city will, of course, make the decisions, but, hopefully, they will consider the wishes of the friends of the wetlands,” Kostkowska said.

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